Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

It's obvious that Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson wants to turn in his orange jersey with black stripes.

It's also obvious that Johnson's comments about the Bengals make coach Marvin Lewis red in the face.

But at the end of the day, there's one color that matters most when settling disputes in the NFL:

That hue is green -- as in the color of money.

Our colleagues at ESPN The Magazine recently caught up with the embattled receiver at his home in Davie, Fla. Among other things, Johnson said that he plans to report to Cincinnati's mandatory minicamp on June 12 and that everyone will see "the reinvention of Ocho Cinco."

This declaration comes just six weeks after Johnson boldly told ESPN.com: "I don't intend on reporting to anything." Lewis quickly shot back during a news conference with Cincinnati media, saying, "I think he's a man of his word and says he's not going to play, so don't play.''

The major league staredown between Cincinnati's star player and coach resulted in Johnson blinking first.

Make no mistake, the fines of $8,000 per day for skipping minicamp and $14,000 per day for missing training camp were ringing in Johnson's head.

A holdout beyond that would have resulted in a loss of game checks. His $3 million salary divided over a 17-week regular season would have cost Johnson approximately $176,500 per week.

Those are the primary reasons Johnson backed down. His proclamation that "I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid" isn't a ringing endorsement that the Bengals are Super Bowl contenders.

With Johnson under contract through 2010 (with a team option for 2011), Cincinnati held most of the cards in this dispute. Threatening to hold out was Johnson's only wild card. He played it, and the Bengals guessed right by calling his bluff.

The good news is Cincinnati retains one of its best players and avoids a potential $8 million salary-cap hit by fending off Johnson's trade requests. But there are other questions that need to be answered.

Will Johnson become a bigger distraction or part of the solution?

How will his teammates receive him?

How will Lewis receive him?

"I'm dead serious. People need to take me as I am because I just don't give a [expletive] anymore,'' Johnson told ESPN The Magazine. "That's how I'd sum up my attitude for the next season."

In other words, let the circus begin.

Or in the Bengals' case, let the circus continue.